MK: Redux
by Banger1897
Summary: Inspired by the youtube teaser trailer. This plot follows the characters through a modern realistic world of corruption, blood lust and an underground crime network still following the characters true natures and backgrounds. Rated T - Might go M.
1. Chapter 1

_Author' Note: _

_Follow this story as it depicts a world thrown into chaos by a war that has raged for centuries. The times have changed and mortals and immortals have had to adjust to a modern world where the confrontation over the realms still wages. Clans have turned to organized crime. The tournaments have become street fights fought in the shadows under the eyes of the police and other law enforcement. Tradition and honour have fallen to more violence, disgrace and foul play. Kingdoms have become businesses and monarchy are CEO's. The city is a war zone and one may become the weapon to stopping the fighting or being the catalyst the wipes out every single world. R/R!_

_Rated T for; Graphic Violence. Sexual References. Course Language**  
**_

**Chapter 1**

The temperature on the bus got noticeably colder as the doors swung open letting a man at stop 17 get on. A few of the other passengers looked up from their papers, iPads and other distractions and shivered. Despite the suffocating heat of this hot June afternoon, the frigid air was almost unwelcome.

The new passenger kept his head down and his eyes on the floor as he moved to the back of the bus and sat in an aisle seat. He was a bit scruffy looking, unshaven for perhaps a day or two, but handsome. His dark hair was messy but kept reasonably short. He looked to be in his late twenties, maybe early thirties, tall and well built.

It was odd for a man to be dressed so heavily on a day such as this. The sweltering temperature outside had caused a heat alert throughout the city and yet the man wore a relatively thick black leather bomber style jacket and heavy dark blue jeans. Still, no one really paid much attention to this or him for that matter.

The bus lurched forward.

A man in a high priced suit sitting at the front grabbed his suitcase just in time before it fell from his lap.

In the middle of the bus sat 4 young children no older than 9. Three boys shared a bench seat behind a young girl. The strange passenger only glanced up to see one of the boys lean over and pull out a single piece of the little girl's long blonde hair. She turned around sharply and punched the boy in the shoulder then withdrew back into her seat before the driver even had a chance to glance up.

"HEY!" the boy shouted at her.

"Quiet back there" the driver scolded.

The young girl only smiled a twisted sweet smile at her own deception.

The passenger felt his own face smile in the same way as the young girl.

At that moment she seemed to feel a set of eyes on her and she turned her head ever so slowly to sneak a glance at the staring passenger siting at the very back. She only noticed- in all his mystery – the piercing blue, almost white eyes that caught her own.

Rather than look away in her own embarrassment at being caught staring she continued to ogle the odd man in the back.

He began to feel uncomfortable.

The warm vibrant green eyes of youth and innocence. Such a beautiful young girl you'd wish your daughter to look like.

The bus slowed as it approached its next stop. The two strangers remained locked in their gaze until the young girl shifted her sight slightly to his left. Curious, the man did the same only to face a set of listless white eyes staring back at him through the window outside.

"GET OVER HERE!"

The words echoed through the bus in a deafening roar. People screamed as the glass window shattered and a hand reached through to grab the blue eyed man.

The bus driver panicked and hit the gas causing people to fall out of their seats but the attacker had already climbed in through the busted out window.

The driver looked back in terror but in that moment his eyes fell off the road, the bus crashed into a street lamp before running a curb and ramming into another vacant bus shelter. The bus jerked violently as the wheels on the right side came off the ground. It rolled onto its side before coming to a stop half in the street and half on the sidewalk. Windows were busted out. Glass and torn metal littered the inside of the bus.

There was no time for those inside to collect themselves. The attacker had gotten to his feet and now stood where the windows became the floor of the bus as it lay on its side. The blue eyed man stood before this enraged attacker.

The young girl's eyes slowly opened to see the men staring each other down. He wore black cargo pants and a black hooded sweatshirt. What looked to be a faint yellow tribal looking scorpion was embroidered up the left sleeve. The hooded sweatshirt was loose on the man but there was no masking the defined muscles this man had that rivaled his opponents.

The two stood in silence for a moment before the hooded man spoke in a harsh accusing tone.

"Cold blood Sub-Zero. That's what it had been when you snuffed my life from me!" he snapped aggressively. "My life was one thing but the death of my clan... my own wife and child! You are nothing but a monster!" the hooded man declared. His words spit from his mouth with a degree of fierceness. He almost trembled with the pent up rage deep within.

Sub-Zero seemed to snarl as his face showed his own building hostility. He felt his body drop dramatically in temperature as he prepared for the inevitable confrontation. At that very instance he looked beyond his aggressor to the terrified face peering at him from behind a turned over bench seat. She grasped the edge of the seats white knuckled and paralyzed with fear and for a brief second in his life, Sub-Zero's thoughts were on some one other than himself.

"This can be settled elsewhere Scorpion," Sub-Zero replied harshly.

The white vacant eyes of Scorpion glanced in the direction where Sub-Zero had allowed his own to wander for just a moment. He caught sight of the young girl then snapped his attention back to Sub-Zero.

"You are scared the children may get harmed? What about MY child! Did you take that into account when you murdered them?" he barked in a hysterical manner.

Sub-Zero tensed.

"You are blinded by your own rage! You accuse me of a crime I am not guilty of," he corrected.

This only seemed to infuriate Scorpion further.

"How dare you preach your _innocence_!" Scorpion replied, his words flowing like venom.

Sub-Zero knew there was no changing the specter's mind. Without hesitation Scorpion outstretched his arm. Those who were still conscious and watching the fight take place screamed when they saw the skin in the palm of Scorpion's hand split open and a small 5 inch spike slide its way out. It snapped forward like a bullet right for Sub-Zero but before it could hit its mark, Sub-Zero threw himself out of the way just in time to save his skin but not the fabric of his dark leather jacket. It split along the shoulder as the coiled spear drove passed.

Sub-Zero reached out and grabbed a hold of the chain that followed the spike that whizzed past and yanked Scorpion to the ground. With the spike and chain still in hand he swung Scorpion into the ceiling where the windows crashed and broke. Scorpion pulled himself from Sub-Zero's grasp and got to his feet with an intense rage filled scowl. He lunged at Sub-Zero and sent the two of them through the back of the bus and onto the pavement outside.

Again, there were screams from those inside the bus still trapped.

Sub-Zero felt a searing pain rise through his body. He staggered to his feet but Scorpion was already standing strong a few feet away.

The sickening smell of diesel filled the air as the fuel tank poured its contents out onto the street. The little girl, still trapped inside screamed for help. Sub-Zero turned his attention to the terrified child.

Scorpion only shouted for them all to shut up.

"Not here Scorpion!" Sub-Zero pleaded. He never cared for a mortals life before but something unnerved him. He wanted no harm to come to this child.

Scorpion roared in anger. "YOU ARE NOT THE HERO, MURDERER!" he snapped and without warning both hands reached out and two spiked chains shot from his hands. Sub-Zero leaped back as one slammed into the ground at his feet. He reached out and grabbed it. It froze instantly. In a clean snap it shattered into pieces. The broken chain shot back into Scorpions hand.

Sub-Zero smirked but that was replaced with a look of concern when the spike and chain mended within Scorpion's flesh instantly and came for him once again. Sub-Zero did his best to evade but the blind hatred inside Scorpion fuelled an anger that he could not escape. He felt his insides burn as a spike drove clean into his chest. It lodged around his spine and he felt himself be pulled towards Scorpion. The two now faced each other.

"This doesn't make us even," Scorpion told the gasping Sub-Zero who collapsed to his knees when Scorpion pulled his chains from Sub-Zero's body.

The girl in the bus screamed as Sub-Zero fell to his knees holding his chest in agony.

Scorpion looked to the hysterical child still inside the bus. He scowled once again. "So this is what has you feeling something other than self worth? I'll show you what it looks like to lose a child, monster," Scorpion barked as he raised his hand to his face and pulled his very flesh off his bones. The girl's eyes went wide in sheer terror at the skull that stared at her and the other trapped passengers.

"I can't leave witnesses" Scorpion muttered and flames erupted from his skeletal mouth.

In a last ditch effort, Sub-Zero picked himself up rushed to the small girl's side. The immense heat was suddenly replaced by a chill as a shield of ice came over the two of them. He couldn't hold back the flames for long. When Scorpion finally ceased his attack and pulled the skin back over his face. He walked to where Sub-Zero now lay beside the child while everyone else lay torched and burned to a crisp.

"Still selfish" Scorpion snapped as he looked down at his fallen enemy. His eyes fell upon the face of the young girl who no longer looked scared but as angry as he had once been.

Scorpion stared at her for a moment. "He had it coming," he mumbled and patted the girl on the head but as he did, he winced as he felt his body ache from the inside. He starred at the girl in shock.

Sirens echoed in the distance. He starred at the young girl with a weary expression as his eyebrows caved inwards slightly. With that, he simply vanished into thin air. The young girl finally pulled herself free from debris of the bus. Despite the mess she was relatively unharmed apart from a few scratches and developing bruises. She touched her hand to Sub-Zero's face. His eyes opened slowly and he looked at her. He felt the corners of his mouth lift into a slight smile. Something he couldn't remember doing for a long time.

"Thank you" she said as a tear rolled down her face. He placed his own hand on hers. It felt almost uncomfortably cold but she did not pull away. His body went limp and his eyes fade to white. A hand came through the busted out window above her and pulled her from the burning bus and into the arms of another firefighter. They wrapped a blanket around her and she felt safe once again. As the paramedics took over she heard one firefighter say to another that she was the only survivor.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Grade 12 was suppose to be the best year of high school. The days had grown warmer as summer approached and the students of Kanata Heights High were anticipating the fast approaching prom and exams. For a young blonde girl – high school couldn't end soon enough.

Dreams to go away for the summer up to her parents cottage were almost overwhelming at times and she found it hard to concentrate. For the newly 18 year old she was looking forward to growing up and putting high school far behind her.

3pm and the bell rang. Elise Lange scooped her text books off her desk and walked to her locker to pick up her rugby equipment. Two more practises before the big end of the year tournament. It had been a great year for her team. They were first in their division lead by her leadership as captain in her final year. She got dressed in the locker room and made her way onto the field.

The team was working on some new plays to attempt in the tournament. Elise had procession of the ball when something caught her eye. A darkly clad figure had appeared beside the bleachers. When she blinked he had vanished. In that moment she was hit hard and brought to the ground.

"LANGE! Don't just stare at the butterflies!" her coach yelled. It hadn't been butterflies. What had that been?

The rest of the day and night went on uneventfully and Elise had nearly forgotten the darkly clad figure until the next day in class when suddenly a strange man walked into their classroom. Their 16th century history teacher looked up and pressed her glasses up to her eyes.

"May I help you?" she asked.

Elise watched the man with interest. He was odd looking. Tall, maybe mid twenties or older with grey eyes that reflected the light. Around his eyes, his skin appeared burnt and charred to black like he had been in some kind of accident at work. He wore simple black jeans with boots and a red T-shirt. His hair was jet black and sleeked back.

"I am looking for a miss Lange," he said with a fake warm smile. Her teacher looked across the class at Elise who seemed to sink in her chair slightly.

"Are you family?" she asked but before another word was spoken he had removed some kind of club from the back pack he had been carrying over his shoulder. A spiked club that made everyone scream and try to put as much distance between them and the assailant.

He came right for her.

Fear held her in place and she stood until he was right before her. Their eyes met and she could see they were nearly glowing. She jumped back just as he brought the club down and smashed her desk to pieces. Students burst into the halls yelling and screaming that there was a psycho on the loose.

Elise, being one of the few still remaining in the classroom was running from corner to corner trying to get away but he blocked her escape each time forcing her to flee from his swinging club. He swung a final time, lodging the club into the thick wooden teachers desk.

That was her chance.

She fled for the door and into the hall where she made a break for the stairwell. When she was finally on the lower floor she burst through the doors and ran as fast as she could from the school.

An immense crash came from behind and she looked over her shoulder to see he had jumped from the second story window and was now in hot pursuit. Terrified, she ran faster but he was closing in. Tears streaked down her face and she thought this was it.

Why was he after her? Who was he? Was this some god awful nightmare?

She ran into the ravine that bordered the school hoping the dense foliage would make it harder to track her but he was coming faster and faster, charging like a bull.

She waded into the creek but a hidden branch below the surface cause her to trip in the water.

How cliché. This had to be a bad dream. This kind of stuff only happened in bad horror films and poor orchestrated thoughts in her sleep.

Now he was there. He threw the club down into the water and grabbed her by the throat lifting her off her feet. Her eyes stung and her throat burned as she gasped for air. She could see the sick smile on his face.

He pushed her down into the water and everything went murky as the polluted water washed over her submerged face. She could barely see him through the water. Suddenly his grip released as something came thrashing through the knee deep water.

The same darkly clad figure she had seen before had her assailant on his back in the creek. She staggered around on her fumbling feet to get distance between them as the two men fought hand to hand. They finally broke apart and glared at one another.

"What do you think you're doing?" snapped the man with the burnt eyes.

Her saviour said nothing.

"She is marked! The boss wants her destroyed!" he snapped

Again, there was no response.

"Don't think you can claim this one after I did all the work!" her attacker added with haste.

"Kahn is not _my _boss. I take my orders elsewhere," her hero replied bitterly.

The man with the burnt eyes looked stunned. "You dare defy him? He and Quan Chi have a truce. Kahn's objectives are yours too, Noob! He will have you head for this!" he claimed.

The darkly clad male laughed slightly.

"Kahn is nothing more than a petty thug and you can tell him I said that," Noob added which seemed to anger the assailant even more. The man with the burnt eyes seemed to snarl as he suddenly vanished into this air.

Elise was breathing heavily to stunned to move as the man approached her. He had almost glowing white eyes. They were so unnatural. He had been wearing black cargo pants and a tight black Under Armour performance shirt with a hood that clung to his head. He was extremely fit. The shirt defined every muscles in his body. A strange mask covered his mouth and part of his nose like he was hiding some horrible deformity he wished no one to see. As he came towards her – she back away.

"Get away from me!" she snapped as she felt around at her feet until she had found the very branch she had tripped on earlier. She raised it from the water and swung but he caught it in an instant before she struck him. He yanked it from her grasp and threw it away.

He could see she was about to scream so he reached for her and grabbed her firmly. He pulled her against him and covered her mouth with his hand.

"I am not here to hurt you," he began nonchalantly. "You are in more danger than you think but right now you need to trust me. I am going to release you. I promise I will not hurt you but don't scream. I will get you to where you will be safe," he assured her. "Do you understand?" he asked.

She nodded slowly so he released her. She moved away but continued to stare at him.

"Come on," he told her and moved to grab her hand to guide her out of the ravine but she pulled away before he could close his grip on her. She would not let him touch her again. He narrowed his listless eyes but did not start a commotion over her uncertainty.

He gestured with his head to follow. As he took to a run, so did she. They ascended out of the ravine and onto a quiet suburban street. His pace quickened as he neared a car parked off to the side. It was a newer model Mustang GT500. Gunmetal gray with the black stripes down the middle.

"Get in!" he snapped as he opened the door for her.

Ha! Good one, she thought. Nothing was making her get into a car with a strange man.

Their eyes met. His eyebrows drew inwards and she could see the anger behind it.

"No," she said shortly.

With that he grabbed her by the wrist hard and pushed her into the car. She screamed and kicked against him hoping someone would hear her distressed call.

Instinct kicked in and he brought his fist violently across her face. She fell silent as her head knocked backwards and she slumped down in the passenger seat. He must have hit her maybe too hard because she was knocked clean out.

He slammed the door and moved to get in the driver's side. The engine roared to life as he turned the key.

It only took a few seconds for the now groggy young woman to slowly open her eyes .

Where was she? What was going on?

When she looked over at him she seemed to snap back to reality instantly.

"Pull over now!" she demanded. There was no way she could jump. The car was moving way too fast.

"I am sorry I hit you but I had to get us out of there. Just relax. I won't do it again so long as you co operate," he informed.

Elise folded her arms and slammed her back against the seat in a childish huff. No way in hell she trusted him.

He drove for what seemed like ages before she got the nerve to speak again.

"Who was that all about?" she asked with slight accusation. "The man who attacked me at school."

"His name is Reiko. A General under the command of Shao Kahn. Reiko is a dangerous man. Kahn trusts him to lead his own personal army," he explained.

She stared back blankly with her mouth partially opened. He saw the vacant expression and sighed. "Long story but after your encounter at age twelve on a bus with your first immortals you were marked as someone to watch," he explained. "It is clear you have developed into a threat and now you are wanted dead," he added.

She sat back in the chair in discomfort. "No one believed me when I explained what had happened. Everyone said it was my active imagination and the fumes from the fire and fuel," she said softly. "But why are they trying to kill me? No one believed me so what threat am I?"

"It was nothing imaginary. The two you saw were Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu warriors settling an old score." He told her but was met with another blank stare. "Sub-Zero and Scorpion" he added. Elise just nodded slowly.

"Then who are you?" she asked as her attention turned to the sketchy motel they pulled into. She dismissed that question altogether. "I'll stay in the car," she mumbled and looked to him like she'd really go in there with him.

"The room will be under my protection. The car will not. If you would rather play with Reiko again I can summon him" he told her bitterly.

She didn't say a word but when he stopped the car she followed him to get the key in silence.

"Why couldn't you just take me home and sit out on my driveway or something?" she asked as he fumbled with the door to their room.

"Anywhere you have already been will be watched closely. I had to bring you here," he muttered. The door opened granting them access to the cat piss smelling room.

The decor wasn't that bad but it was far from a Hampton Inn. At least there was two beds. Still, she sat in the chair while the odd man stood looking out the window for a few lingering seconds.

"So, your name?" she asked again. He shut the curtain and looked at her.

"You may call me Noob" he informed. Her brow raised.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes..." he replied.

"Are...are you even human?" she asked in as kind a manner as she could muster.

He walked over to the corner of the bed and sat down facing her as she remained in the chair.

"Technically no. Nor am I really alive" he added taking in her disgruntled expression. "Long story" he finally concluded and stood up making his way to the window. "Get some sleep" he told her.

Elise was silent for a moment but remained in place. "Not alive?" she questioned with a raised brow not believing him for a second.

"You've seen people disappear and reappear out of thin air. You have seen weapons come out of one's hands and you've seen a man freeze with his bare hands. You mean to say that believing someone can be alive but not really be alive is the strangest of all those?" he said sarcastically.

She seemed to scowl at his words but said nothing.

"When do you want to switch up?" she asked after a long drawn out silence.

Noob only shook his head. "I don't sleep much" he said as she walked over to the far bed and sat down.

"Do you ever take off the mask?" she asked curiously.

He didn't reply really. Instead, he turned around and walked to the bathroom. "If I took a shower would that answer your question? Get some sleep" he scolded.

She looked a little agitated by his attitude then lay back over top of the covers. He walked in and locked the door. The water ran for quite some time. She pretended to be asleep when he emerged out of the bathroom.

Mask and shirt were off now and in the dim light given off by the dust covered lamp she could take in a face she thought she knew. As he began to place his face mask back on he turned to see if she was still asleep. Her eyes shot closed just in time.

He looked away and she examined him again. There was a horrible scar on his back, when he turned around it was there on his front. Now he was looking at her and could see she was not asleep.

"I thought I..." he cut himself off when she stood and came over to him. She eyed the old wound and looked up at him. He was looking down at her.

"It was you..." she murmured.

"That was a long time ago. That's not who I am anymore," he told her harshly and pushed her out of the way as he went for his shirt.

"You saved my life from that, thing!" she told him as if reaching an epiphany.

"That's enough," He told her softly.

"I saw you die. You were beside me and you touched me. Your hand was freezing!"

"I said that's enough, Elise!" he cut in.

She went silent and eyed him like her childhood hero was a fake all along.

He sighed and looked at her disappointed face. "Just get some sleep. I will explain more tomorrow" he said.

"What about my parents? They are going to be worried sick" she asked.

"You can't go home ever again. You will only put them in danger and the less your enemies know about you, the better" he explained. "And they already know a lot."

That seemed to hit her hard but she did not question him. She merely lay back down on the bed and rolled over so her back was too him. He sat on the chair and watched out the window for any approaching danger.

"Good night Elise" he said trying to sound sympathetic.

He was met with silence throughout the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Dawn cut through the dusty old curtains of the derelict hotel. Green eyes remained closed as sleep had taken her sometime in the night.

Noob was sitting on the other bed checking his Blackberry. He was emerged in his work on the screen as thick black smoke loomed from under the door of the motel. The smoke gathered and grew quite thick before assuming the form of a man.

He appeared human but his skin held an odd gray hue in patches and wires penetrated his body all over. His face was hidden entirely behind a black face shield like an old goalie hockey mask but much more menacing. Straight salt and pepper hair traced over the edges of the mask and along his collar line.

Noob looked at the new comer with a vacant stare as he took a solid form before him.

The newcomers voice was monotone and scratchy like he spoke from an artificial electronic larynx one would use if they had throat cancer.

"Am I really seeing this?" he asked as his gaze moved in the direction of the sleeping young woman, then to Noob. "This woman has been marked. Not only did I hear of her escape but the rumours are flying that you had something to do with this. I didn't believe it. You of all beings. Incapable of such compassion and yet I come upon this scene." He uttered mechanically.

Noob tied on his face mask and eyed the newcomer coldly.

"Do not speak of things you cannot compute, Smoke," he began but Smoke was clearly not done with his lecture.

"The repercussions for helping this girl will be serious. Kahn will insist Shinnok honour his truce. He will not be lenient..."

"I do not need Shinnok's mercy nor I do not want it," He spat back at the cyborg.

"You forget about Kahn's plan if he gets his hands on the girl before Shinnok," Smoke added who stood perfectly still before he finally looked to Elise still sleeping. He carried on quietly.

"You do her more harm than good by being here. You are easily traceable and they will stop at nothing to get her. Your enemies are your allies in this case. You think they are going to welcome you even if you bring them a gift of this magnitude? Think logically Noob, if the rumours are true, even we may be on her war path. I think this is a mistake. She is dangerous to us. Do you think if she goes through it all she will spare us?" he asked rhetorically. "You need to come back. This has gone too far," he added

Noob scowled behind his mask.

"Do not think for a moment that I have not weighed all that into account," he grumbled.

"I don't care to know why this girl has you breaking our laws but if you continue on with her, you will suffer the same fate as she and I cannot stand by your side for that," Smoke told him bitterly.

Noob looked over his shoulder as Elise stirred slightly in her sleep. His upper lip rose ever so slightly and his nose twitched in frustration over the situation. He took a pad of papers and scribbled down an address before leaving it on the night stand.

"Just this last thing," he said as his expression turned to slight sorrow. Smoke looked to Noob and nodded.

"I will defend your innocence in this. Claim you were with me the entire time but we must return now before the suspicion goes any further," Smoke told him and the two vanished into thin air.

**XXX**

Heavy light burned at her eyelids. Elise's eyes slowly opened seeing objects in the hotel come into focus. She felt no cold presence around her and in that moment she knew she was alone. She looked around the room but nothing was out of place that made her believe there was any looming danger. There was a small pad of paper on the night stand that read a simple address.

What the hell was this? He drags her to a part of the city where she is completely lost and leaves her sometime in the night? She began regretting her decision to trust him after all.

How was she suppose to get to this place? When she looked out the window she saw his car was still there but keys were nowhere to be found.

This was the uncomfortable moment when one realizes they have been left high and dry after a mistake is realized by one or the other. She couldn't help but feel thrown out in the situation. Perhaps she was more of a burden to him and the more he separated himself from her, the better off he was.

She got dressed in yesterdays clothes of tight blue jeans, running shoes and a simple black and white T-Shirt and was out of the motel within the hour of her wake. She was walking across the parking lot when she heard a loud,

"Hey you!"

She jumped hearing the exclamation and turned suddenly seeing a very overweight man leaning against a large white tow truck. The lettering on the truck read /Bo's Tows/.

"Look lost there kiddo. Need a lift somewhere?" he asked warmly.

Her stigma of refusing rides from strangers had long been expunged since yesterday's events.

In any other circumstance she wouldn't have gotten into the vehicle but his presence didn't alarm her for some reason. Rather then turn with her head down she approached the man.

"Thank you" she mumbled in a hushed voice and climbed in.

"Where you headed?" he asked as started up the large diesel engine. She showed him the piece of paper and he nodded. She could smell the alcohol in his clothes and the lingering second hand smoke in the fabric of the truck and yet nothing put her on edge.

"I'll take you there directly" he told her with a kind smile.

This was quite the gesture but she graciously accepted his offer. She looked down at the licence on the sun visor above his head.

_/BO/ _it read with no other identifying names. That was odd but she dismissed it.

"What are you doing out on your own like that kiddo?" he asked trying to make small talk.

"I, uh ...," she tried when he interjected.

"Not a runaway are ya?"

"No, well ... I don't know," she said realizing she really had no idea what she was doing and really why for that matter. The attack in school had indicated she was in some kind of danger but was it really as bad as Noob made it out to be?

He could see she was struggling with her own thoughts so he reached over and opened the glove box.

"Hungry?" he asked as he pulled out some beef jerkey as a couple empty beer bottles crashed to the ground at her feet.

"Just ignore that," he said with a chuckle and put the bag of jerkey on her lap. She hadn't felt hungry until he did so and she dove into the bag exchanging a thanks with a full mouth.

An hour or so on the road thanks to traffic and they pulled into a rather quiet clean neighbourhood. A large apartment residence came into view around a corner. They passed through the gates and the welcome sign read, 'Tall Oaks Retirement Home'

This couldn't be right. Why had Noob told her to come here?

The heavy set man came to a stop and looked at her.

"Tell ol' bolts I say hi," he told her as he watched her climb out. She looked at the heavy man questioningly, smiled and turned towards the large retirement home.

She walked into the building and looked around. She only had the address, not whom she was looking for. The woman at the visitors desk looked at her with suspicion. Should she ask to see Noob?

"Miss, may I help you?" she asked.

Elise panicked a little but a voice to her left interrupted.

"She is here to see me," an older man's voice cut in. Elise turned and looked at the white haired man. His hands were heavily scared and his eyes were a very pale blue. He wore a pair of white slacks and a white dress shirt. He smiled at her warmly. She returned the smile.

"Come on now, sweetie" he beckoned. She followed without question. "So you made it," he said as he walked slowly down the hall. They came to a small quiet room where they could be alone. He sat in a large green chair and motioned for her to join him on the adjacent chair. She sat down but did not speak.

"I didn't think you'd be here so soon. I imagine you must have had some help," he said as a brow raised but his look was curious. "From who, I do not know but I am sure we will know their intent soon enough," he added.

How was it that everyone seemed to know her?

"My name is Raiden. For quite some time I have kept a close eye on matters going on around this world. How many times I have watched Earthrealm come to the brink of destruction and –" he was suddenly cut off.

"This world? Earthrealm?" she interjected.

"My dear you seriously believe that there is really no magic out there? That things are always as they seem all the time?" he asked.

"Are you saying I am a witch bound for Hogwarts?" she mocked thinking this man was senile and was about to get out of her chair.

"Child, I have been around for many centuries. I have seen your people's narrow look at history. If only you knew how this world came to be and what it will become – what it would have become much sooner had my warriors not saved it from peril many times over," he informed.

Elise just raised a brow.

"Do you need a demonstration?" he asked. His eyes flickered with light as the sky began to darken. A flash and great BOOM burst from outside where lightning split a tree.

Elise fell back from her chair with eyes wide open. "How...but..."

"Elise, you need to accept the fact that there are things beyond what you have comprehended all your life. Now get rid of the stunned look and face what challenges are ahead for you and all of us. Earthrealm and many of the other realms are in danger of a being conquered by a great evil. His name is Shao Kahn."

Shao Kahn. There was that name again. She knew she had heard that name somewhere other than from the mouths of Noob and Raiden. Then it clicked.

"Kahn, he is a big mob boss. I hear his name in the news a lot but I wouldn't go about saying he is some major conqueror," she claimed.

Now it was Raiden's turn to raise a white brow.

"Times have changed. The great immortals have had to adapt to the times. Shao Kahn is well over 10 thousand years old and still holds a grudge on this world and his inability to control it. Earth is weak. Fighters are dying or being turned" he said. He pulled some photographs from his pocket.

"Chief of police Kurtis Stryker is a long time friend of mine. He keeps me well informed to the actions I miss. We have lost so many. He and his detachment are overwhelmed with the crime in this city from both mortals and non. It is getter harder and harder each day to keep Earthrealm purged of evil."

At that moment Raiden reached down and pulled out some photographs from his pocket. With a heavy sigh he placed them on the table for her to see.

The photo was disturbing. A rather handsome man whose eyes were covered by a handkerchief was sprawled on the ground with his entrails exposed. His dark brown hair matted with his own blood. Elise grimaced at the picture.

"Kenshi. He got too close to the Black Dragon Clan, a group of trained glorified thugs, and the second in command, Jarek finished him off before the organization was fully infiltrated," Raiden informed.

Beneath it was another picture of an attractive, in shape black man. Again, this picture was grotesque for he was hanging in a meat cellar by a hook through his middle.

"Kai. So close to immortality and they found him," Raiden explained.

Finally a pretty young woman with black pigtails and a revealing purple dress. Her head should have been attached to her body but it was not. "Li Mei. She didn't deserve this. May she rest with her people," Raiden concluded as he took back the pictures.

"Why did you show me these?" Elise asked squeamishly.

"We don't have much time. You should have been found sooner but a Sorcerer was clouding anyone from finding you. Alas, here you are and we can begin," he said as he handed her a small black business card. It read 'Neatherealm' and the name on the card was 'Ashrah.'

"Go here but speak to no one but her. I am sending you right into enemy lines child so be on your guard. It is imperative you speak to Ashrah and have her bestow her knowledge onto you. Once a member of our enemies she now is our best informant," he assured her.

"No," she snapped coldly. "I haven't gotten any answers as to what is going on and why I am caught up in all this. I am a simple human girl going to school and worried about college like everyone else my age. Suddenly I am attacked in my classroom, punched and thrown in a car, taken to some sleazy motel room where I am left behind only to have some tow truck driver chauffer me here. I think it's time someone tells me what the fuck is going on!" she demanded as her voice trailed to a more elevated tone.

All of this seemed to catch Raiden off guard.

"Who protected you?" was all he asked but Elise hesitated to tell him.

"I don't know his name," she lied. Raiden didn't look fooled but he dismissed the subject.

"My Dear, I know this is all very complicated. What I tell you is what's important now and what will keep you safe. Everything will be made clear to you in time. For now, you must seek out Ashrah. She will ensure you are lead in the right direction," he told her softly.

Confused but without any other direction to go Elise took the card. Frustration had been replaced with indifference at this point. She rose from her chair and nodded to Raiden who smiled grimly like he was seeing her march to her death. It wasn't very comforting. She left Raiden to his thoughts in the big green chair as fire crews arrived to put out the tree.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Getting from the nice retirement home to a rather sketchy part of the city took nearly all day. The sun was setting as Elise got off the subway and made her way to the streets above. She head the place before she saw it. Loud thumping base penetrated her very body and moved her insides with each blast of sound waves. It was a popular night club.

The neon pink sign read "Netherealm" which had to be the place Raiden spoke of for it was the only place that appeared on her Google search at the internet cafe.

How was she going to pull this off? She was only 18 and one had to be 19 to gain access in this country to a night club. She made her way past the bouncer towards the back of the line wondering how she could smooth talk her way in.

"Hey!" a voice called from behind.

Fuck. Busted.

The trembling began in her hands and she turned to see the bouncer looking directly at her. He was quite scary looking. He was abnormally large for a man and had a disgusting surface piercing implant of a third eye on his forehead. He glared at her as his sharpened teeth bared. She took a step back. The cruel scowl turned into a strange smile as he unclipped the velvet rope.

"Come on in darling. Ladies are free tonight," he said cheerfully.

Her heart just about skipped a beat. The trembling did not cease but it definitely subsided a little.

Elise remembered how Raiden spoke of the enemies in this place but she was also gaining access and would be one step closer to finding Ashrah.

Elise slipped past the odd bouncer and into the lively club. She realized only after the door shut how inappropriately dressed she was.

Everyone was in tight revealing garments and she, still in yesterday's school clothes. With her head down she walked past everyone only glancing up to ask for Ashrah but people just stared or ignored.

The music was so loud and people were busy dancing, drinking and socializing. She felt awkward and overwhelmingly uncomfortable. Finally she glanced up as she felt herself bump into some one. It was the scary bouncer who had let her in. He grinned at her and pointed to a large door. There was a large 'A' on it.

Well, that was a lucky break. Elise smiled and nodded back at the strange man and made her way to the door. She firmly knocked and waited until the voice on the other side called for her to enter.

The woman before her was strikingly beautiful ... for an older woman. She wore a very sleek white dress with a large slit up to her thigh. A very young look. Her ashy blonde hair was tied back in a large bun pulling her face back a little which diminished the look of her wrinkles.

"Raiden's new pet?" she asked looking up from her work. She raised her brow at Elise but seemed more interested in the ensemble she was wearing in her prestigious club. "The last one didn't last too long," she said coldly. "Well, if you're going to work here you'll have to change into something more fitting this establishment. You can pick something out from that closet where the dancers get their outfits" she said dismissively.

Elise piped up. "I am not here to work in your club. Raiden wants you to..."

"I know what Raiden wants so if you want my help, go get changed and be out of my sight. Do something for me and I'll do something for you," she said with a wave of her hand.

Bitch, Elise thought and defiantly walked towards the closet. Everything looked like it had been put together with scissors. The only thing that seemed to maybe cover anything was a pair of black tight short shorts with a weird piece of fabric that came off her hip and fell just below her knee and a black corset like top that pushed up her boobs.

She changed quickly and muttered a thanks as she walked back out. The music seemed to be even louder. She had no idea what to do now but go to the bar and maybe get inspired one way or another. That's when she felt a hand on her waist which pulled her back into a body.

She was in the arms of someone and when she looked up saw it was none other than Reiko.

"You!" she snapped but no one noticed the inappropriate gesture taking place.

He smiled and pulled her in so his back was to the wall and she was against him. People were making out just about everywhere. Others were too busy dancing on their partners.

"Got all dressed up for me, huh?" he told her with a smug look as his hand travelled up her leg to the edge of her shorts.

She struggled but he held her tightly. She felt his hand slide up and under her shorts. She began to panic and frantically looked around for help. No one even noticed what was going on.

"Stop! Please!" she begged which only brought out a laugh from him.

When his hands ventured too far she suddenly turned with wild blood red eyes and snarled at Reiko who seemed startled and released her. She pushed him back and faced him with a hostile expression. She hadn't even noticed that her tight arm up to her elbow had begun to turn translucent like that of a ghost.

When she faced him she was no longer seeing just his physical form. She could see into him. Into his body and the pale green being that dwelled within him. It was his soul. Like predator onto prey she outstretched her hand which passed through his body. His eyes lit up as his entire body went rigid. She wrapped her fingers around the neck of the soul that dwelled within him. She squeezed. His eyes began to bug and he gasped. In an instant the soul vanished. Snuffed away and Reiko collapsed to the ground lifeless.

A woman with deep dark eyes and short black hair with a white streak down the side turned from her seat at the bar and saw the soul thrash one last time before disappearing. Reiko lay dead as people all around went on with the music unaware of what had just happened.

Everyone, but the strange woman.

Elise's eyes went back to their warm green hue and she starred in horror at the mess at her feet. How had she done that? She looked all around but everyone was either unaware or ignoring that anything had happened.

From across the club she met the eyes of the other young woman staring blankly back at her. Suddenly, she was moving through the crowd right for her now.

Elise was frozen for a moment but then she began to back into the crowd of dancers. She turned to run but someone had grabbed her arm. She turned to see the woman was now holding her firm. Elise tried to pull away but the woman did not release her.

"Please! Let me go!" she begged. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" she added.

The woman continued to hold her. The large piece of white hair fell over her face. She was scarcely dressed and fit in with the crowd here. Her eyes narrowed and she let Elise go but as she did, she spoke.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" she snapped angrily.

Elise said nothing.

Someone brush up behind her. The woman's eyes went wide for they saw who was behind her before Elise had. Ashrah placed a hand on Elise's shoulder.

"Sareena. I see you have met our new server. She is here at Raiden's request" she began before she looked over her shoulder at Reiko's corpse on the floor. Her brow raised and she eyed Elise carefully. "I see you started the night off well," she said with a twisted smile which Elise did not return. Sareena glared at the young girl.

"So who is she then?" she asked.

"Even I am not sure. Raiden asked that you accompany her to Master Fujin to be trained in the morning. After her shift of course," she explained.

Sareena looked surprised. "She is to be trained by master Fujin?" she inquired.

"So it appears" Ashrah spoke.

Sareena scoffed and looked back to Elise.

"Fine," she spat as she moved past her and bumped her shoulder. Elise didn't want to be here as much as this woman wanted her here.

"Now dear, clean up this mess. Dispose of the body discreetly. I'll answer to the questions as they come," Ashrah directed Sareena. "Elise, try not to kill any more of my patrons please? Just dispense the drinks."

With that, Ashrah retired back to her office leaving a scowling Sareena to lug out the body muttering about how 'drunk' he was to everyone she passed. Elise remained still before looking over to the bartender.

Was it just her or were the people in this place getting weirder and weirder? Though she could not see his face for he wore an odd kind of tribal mask, she could see the skin not covered was heavily scared and burned. He too was very tall and wore a somewhat well priced black suit. Despite the sophisticated style he wore a belt with a baseball bat attached. She didn't even want to guess what it was for. Now he was beckoning her over with his hand.

She reluctantly made her way over to the bar.

"Just started?" he asked.

Elise nodded slowly in silence.

"Name's Drahmin. The bouncer over there is my buddy Moloch. We are kind of the muscle in this place. Someone gives you a hard time, just let me know," he spoke with a slanted brutal grin.

Where were you five minutes ago, she thought to herself silently but only nodded and forced a fake smile.

"Got a name kid?" he now asked.

"Elise," she replied keeping things to one word so maybe he would get bored with her.

"Well, Elise. Keep clear of the fights and out of Ashrah's way and you'll do just fine here," he assured her eyeing her like a piece of meat he could sink his teeth into. She could see through the mask where his eyes fell and they were no on her face.

"Thanks," she mumbled and backed herself away from the bar.

What the fuck was she doing and what the fuck had she done?

When she felt confident no one was going to bother her again she retired to the women's washroom. When she was alone in a stall she sat down and looked at her right. How had she done it? She clapped her hands together but nothing made it turn translucent as it had when she was threatened by Reiko.

Something came over her when he intended to harm her like an instinctive defence system she didn't know she possessed. How had she seen his very soul in his body? How had she taken it from him and executed it just in her hand. Worst of all, why had she enjoyed it when it was all happening? When Reiko lay dead at her feet she was mortified and yet thrilled as if whatever was inside her was rejoicing at the triumphant slaying.

She looked at her watch and realized she had been out of sight for far too long. She emerged from the washroom to see Sareena glaring at her as she stood beside Moloch. Elise shuffled through the crowd until she saw someone come through the front door. Noob had just entered the club. He appeared more stoic and brutish for a reason she couldn't place right away.

He made his way through the crowd of people towards the bar to exchange words with Drahmin. That's when Elise could see why his appearance took a more savage look. Still he wore his black cargo pants and tight black Under Armour performance shirt with hood over his head complete with mask but draped across his shoulder like belts of ammunition were strange four point stars that she swore were out of a ninja film.

What on Earth could he possibly do with those? The throwing stars were weird but the Sig P229 Equinox .40 Calibre handgun on his hip was nothing to laugh at. He brought a gun into the club and yet no one raised a fuss.

She stood still watching him converse with Drahmin well out of earshot. Only when he was finished did he turn and see her standing there. He had to do a double take to see if it was really her. What he did next surprised her. He turned to leave.

She pushed her way through the crowd but he kept moving away.

"Noob!" she called out which made him turn sharply at her. She could only see his eyes but they were ablaze with anger. His brows caved inwards the lines on his forehead deep.

She stopped moving towards him. She was afraid of him. The way he looked at her now was like she was his number one enemy. Suddenly he was upon her and took her arm so tightly it hurt in his hand. He pulled her through the crowd of dancers to where the back exit door was.

"What the fuck are you doing here? Are you trying to get yourself killed! The address I gave you was to see Rai..." he started but she cut him off.

"I did. He sent me here to see Ashrah who put me to work. They mentioned something about a guy name Fujin training me and..."

Noob looked taken aback.

"He sent you here? Is he nuts? If Quan Chi or Shinnok just happened to come by tonight and see you..." he paused and placed both hands on her shoulder. He no longer looked terrifying and she could see the anger was replaced with worry.

They both were silent in their thoughts. Elise couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes so she stared at the floor waiting for his next words.

The words weren't coming for his thoughts were not on keeping her safe as they should have been. Noob was looking upon the young woman his hands were placed on. What had Ashrah given her to wear! She was just a kid! No, Elise was 18 now. Far from the adorable child he had saved on the bus. It had been ten long years since that day.

Her long blonde hair was tied back messily but she was quite beautiful. Her eyes were striking as they reflected the fluorescent light. Her skin was soft to his touch and he felt the desire to trace his fingers down her arms but he did not dare. When she finally looked up at him with a half smile he felt a warmth inside he never once felt. Not ever.

He cleared his throat and released her. She was a child. Nothing more than a mere human child and that was it. He had no obligation to protect her. He was a wraith and under the service of Quan Chi. She was marked for death and if he killed her, there would be rewards beyond countable measures.

Yet, as he contemplated this his eyes fell upon her now tearing up face.

"Oh fuck, what's this?" he asked seeing her distraught appearance.

Suddenly she swung her arms around him. He could feel her tears dampening his shirt. He didn't know what to do. A human girl was embracing him and he was clueless as to what to do. He looked around for a moment before placing one arm around her lower back and a hand on her head.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Never before had he uttered such words and meant them.

"What the fuck is going on? Why is this happening to me?" she sobbed.

Noob was lost for words. He was not a social worker and humanistic problems were way over his head. Feeling much of anything was beyond him.

"What's going on back there?" came the shrill voice of Sareena who was making her way down the corridor.

Before she could spot them Noob pulled away.

"Trust no one here but Ashrah. Keep out of sight if you can and speak to no one else. I'll come find you again," he told her before vanishing.

Sareena now appeared in the doorway looking at Elise with a raised brow.

"What the fuck are you doing back here. I was looking for you everywhere. Come on. Last call was fifteen minutes ago and were getting ready to close up," she ordered.

Elise said nothing and followed Sareena wondering just how long it would be before Noob did come back for her.


End file.
